[Developers invited to compete in Apply Your Ideas contest in efforts to offer more appealing smartphone apps in the V CAST Apps store. Grand Prize winner takes home a $50,000 prize plus 200 percent of the app's revenue for a year.]

Basking Ridge, NJ -- Verizon Wireless is calling on all mobile applications developers to enter their most innovative applications in the Apply Your Ideas contest beginning Aug. 14. The contest encourages developers to get creative and is designed to uncover the coolest and most appealing applications for smartphone customers.

“This contest is a great way for any developer to show off their most interesting and appealing apps, not to mention it has the potential for tremendous financial and other rewards,” said Ryan Hughes, vice president, partner management and business development at Verizon. “We want developers to make V CAST Apps the home of the coolest, most-wanted mobile apps, and we look forward to developers bringing new concepts as well as existing apps from many platforms to the BlackBerry platform, not only for this contest, but ultimately to V CAST Apps.”

Developers can submit applications in five categories – Connect, Entertain, Guide, Save Time, and Enhance Living – which highlight the wide range of activities, information, entertainment and other cool things developers can bring to mobile phones. Verizon encourages developers who have been creating apps for other platforms such as Java, BREW, Android, Windows Mobile and others to enter the Apply Your Ideas contest. Applications must be new to the BlackBerry® wireless platform and work on BlackBerry® Storm™ smartphones to be eligible to win.

Members of the Verizon Developer Community (VDC) will choose the category winners and the People’s Choice winner from among the applications submitted. The Grand Prize winner, chosen from among the category winners by a panel of judges, will take home $50,000; 200 percent of the application’s revenue for a year (to a maximum of actual revenue plus $100,000); and a featured spot at the launch of the V CAST Apps storefront.

Key Dates for Apply Your Ideas Contest
The contest begins tomorrow, and the Grand Prize Winner will be announced on Oct. 30, 2009. The schedule for the contest is below.

For an overview of the contest, the full set of rules and an explanation of prizes, visit www.applyyourideas.com.

Check Out the Developer Portal
Developers must register for the VDC to be eligible to enter the contest. Registration, as well as the latest information on the VDC and the Apply Your Ideas contest, is available at http://developer.verizon.com.